Sparking device.



No'. 813,104. l PATBNTED FEB. zo, 19o6.` 'l

H. A. MILLER. SPARKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, V1905.

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.HARRY n. MiLLER, or Los ANGELES, oALiroRNiA.

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I, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented rieb. ao, i906.

Application filed-Jali`tiary 14, 1905. Serial No. ZLOO.

To (LZZ whom; it may concern;

Be it known that I, HARRY A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,`residing at Los vAngeles, in` the county of Los Angeles 'and State of California, have invented a new and useful Sparking Device, of which the follow- .bers are employed, one of which contact members is operated by gas-pressure in one direction and by spring-pressure in the opposite direction, and in this construction secondary circuits and electromagnets with their attendant disadvantages are dispensed with.

My invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, in which- A Figure l is a sectional view of an enginecylinder and my improved ignition device applied thereto, and Fig. 2 a broken side elevational view of the ignition device.

ln the construction shown, A represents an engine-cylinder, and B my ignition device applied thereto. The device B comprises a plug b, having screw connection withtne cylinder; a spring -held reciprocable contact member or plunger b', movable in a tubular member b2, contained in an insulating-tube b3, extending vertically through the plug; a contact member bf* in the form of a lever, located principally in the chamber b5 and supported on a pivot ZJ, the lower end of the lever being curved upwardly and tipped with a platinum point adapted to make contact with the platinum point at the lower of inner extremity of the contact member b; a diaphragm joined by a rod b7 to the upper end of the lever b, an enlargement t8 affording a chamber b9, communicating through a passage b1 with the chamber b5; a removable p'late b, with which the diaphragm is connected and which affords one wall for the chamber b", a spring 612 serving normally to hold the diaphragm-pressed inwardly, and an adjustable screw b connected with the enlargement on the plate b and recessed toreceive the spring D12, said screw serving as a means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

The contact member b has an upwardlysocket i515 of a binding-screw b1, and there is provided a spring b, vtending to hold the member b normally depressed.

A battery C is connected by a conductor c with the binding-post bw' and with the engine-cylinder. fn the course of the conductor c is located a make-and-break device c, comprising a cam c2, operated from the shaft of the engine, arid a contact member c3. lf desired, the external make-and-break device c. may be omitted from the external circuit.

The operation will be readily u'nderstoodf The diaphragm e; is normally pressed inward, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the internal contact members b and b4 are out of contact. .The/tension of the spring 1912 is preparatorily adjusted, so that when the pressure in the enginecylinder (during compression of the charge) reaches the proper amountv the diaphragm will be forced outward, thereby causing the inner end of the contact member b4 to nieve with a wiping contact past the inner end of the contact member t. When the internal pressure is relieved, the diaphragm will be returned to its normal position under the action of the spring blz. Assuming the eX- ternal make-and-break device c to be in use,

the external4 portieri of the circuit will be closed at the proper instant to permit current to pass to supply the spark internally at the exact moment required. Assuming the device c to be dispensed with, sparking will occur 'at the exact moment desired, provided the spring a12 has been preparatorily delicately ad]usted to insure movement of the diaphragm at exactly the proper instant. lt will be understood, therefore, that the device c acts as a safety device, insuring passage of current at proper intervals only, and that where the engine operates under conditions where proper adjustment of the spring om is assured the device c is unnecessary.

lt is obvious that the present invention dispenses with secondary circuits and also with electromagnets with their attendant disadvantages. y

Changes in details of construction within the spirit of my invention are feasible. Hence no undue limitation should beunderstood from the foregoing detailed description. Vihile it is preferred to actuate the contact member e4 whoily by gas-pressure in one direction and by spring-pressure in the oppoextending reduced stem b, which works in a l site direction, Still the construction maybe vaagainst said diaphragm, and means for ad.

l to actuate said second-namedcontact mem- VAcontact member having insu ated connection ber, for the purpose set forth. y

2. An ignition device comprising a plug, an insulating-sleeve extending therethrough, a contact. member e'xtendin' lon itudina'lly through .said sleeve, anA oscill-yatingever-form contact member, and a diaphragm 'located'so as to be exposed to cylinder-pressure When'in use and serving to actuate Isaid second-named contact member, for the purpose set forth.

3. An ignition devicecom rising a plug, a

With said plug, an oscillating contact -member, a diaphragm connected therewith and normally in position to hold said contact members out of engagement, a spring bearing justing the tension of'said spring, for 'the purpose set forth.

4.- .The combination With an` engine-cylinder, of an ignition device comprising tWo'internal relatively movable contact members,

a diaphragm connected with oneof said contact members, said contact members belng normally separated, an electric circuit whichV may be completed through said contact members, and a normally open external make-andbreak device inter osed in sai circuit, for the purpose set fort 5. Anignition device, comprising av plug,

an interna contact'member connected therewith, a pivoted contact member, a diaphragm disposed at one side of said second-named contact member and connected with the same and exposed to pressure from the cylinder of the engine, and an adjustable spring bearing against said diaphragm, for the -purpose set forth. i

v6.l An ignition device, comprising a plug havin va bore, an insulating-tube extending theret rough,.a tube ,Within said insulatingt-ube, a' reclprocab'le contact member Within lsaid last-'named tube, a chamber in said plug, ia contact member pivoted in said chamber, a

diaphragm disposed at one side of said lastnamedcontact member and connected With -said last-named contact member, a sring vbearing on said dia hragm, means for a usting said spring, an means forconnecting the conductor of an electric circuit with said second-namedtube, for the purpose set forth. HARRY A. MILLER. In presence of- TRACY' B. HATCH, T. R. WALLACE. 

